Junior League of Birmingham's Bargain Carousel going strong almost 30 years later

Renee Clements of Mountain Brook, left, and Kim Brown of Brighton share a laugh while working with stocking some items donated for the Junior League of Birmingham's Bargain Carousel. (The Birmingham News / Jeff Roberts)After almost 30 years, the Junior League of Birmingham's Bargain Carousel has generated its share of stories, with the massive garage sale drawing thousands of shoppers each year.

One of the most popular stories involves a couple who shopped the Bargain Carousel a few years ago and instantly became an inspiration to volunteers.

"They had been married for 40 of their 60 years," said Kristin Ritter, Junior League president. "They didn't realize we mark items half price on Sunday. When they found that out, they started crying. They were able to buy a washing machine. They had never owned one. That makes you understand why we do it every year."

Don't have to camp

This year's Bargain Carousel arrives Saturday at the former Bruno's Supermarket location at The Summit. The doors open at 8 a.m., but shoppers will start lining up Thursday to get the earliest access to more than 100,000 items, Ritter said.

In years past, people would camp out for days to be the first through the doors. Organizers are trying something different this year by allowing people to reserve a place in line without spending the night in a parking lot. People can stop by The Summit location and get a reservation ticket from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Ritter said.

Shopping runs Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $5 from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturday, and then free the rest of the weekend, she said.

"We literally have everything," said Caroline Ezelle, event chairwoman. "It's wonderful that this event exists in this economy. People can get a washer and dryer for $30 apiece. They can get a computer for $20. They can clothe their entire family for $50. I think you could come and do an entire house for under $500, chairs, linens, anything you can think of."

With 2,700 members, the Junior League of Birmingham is the fifth-largest Junior League in the world and the largest women's organization in Alabama, Ritter said. About 1,000 active members each donate at least $100 worth of merchandise to the Bargain Carousel each year, she said. Bayer Properties donated this year's space.

Kimberly Johnson, an Irondale housekeeper, had no idea that the event would mean so much to her and her daughter, Kamesha Johnson, 17. They lost everything but their lives in a March apartment fire, she said.

"You get a devastating phone call and everything is just gone," Kimberly Johnson said. "We lost everything."

Through the efforts of Ezelle, Connie Long and Elizabeth Miller, all league members, Johnson was able to shop before the public. She said she purchased furniture, decorations, dishes and chairs that go perfectly with a donated kitchen table.

"We were blessed," Johnson said. "The stuff I got was a dire need and it is getting much use. This was a great start for us."

Full-circle service

The event is open to the public and draws people from all demographics, curious housewives to families who depend on the sale for necessities, Ezelle said. Organizers said they expect the economy to play a role in this year's attendance.

"There are single mothers, or full families, who need to purchase clothing for their family," said Ritter. "They may not have bought used clothing before, but might need to do that now."

The Bargain Carousel remains a priority to Junior League members because the community service goes full circle. Families benefit from the sale and then the proceeds from their purchases go to about 32 community projects for women and children, she said.

The Junior League of Birmingham is a civic group of women committed to promoting voluntarism and improving communities through volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively education and charitable, according to information provided by the group.

More than 1,000 active volunteers collectively contribute more than 40,000 hours of service each year. The Bargain Carousel, which started 29 years ago, takes more than 5,000 of those volunteers' hours, said Ezelle.

Volunteer Stacey Barnes said her favorite part of the event is when the doors open.

"Watching that first person walk through the front door is fun," Barnes said. "They get about five minutes to look around and then we let the next few people in, and they get a chance to get the best stuff first. People travel a long distance for this. The crowd is there overnight, waiting to get in. They have been anticipating this all year long."